2018 Study Guide

RHETORICAL DEVICES IN LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST

A rhetorical device is a technique that conveys a meaning with the goal of per- Love’s Labor’s Lost suading the listener to consider a topic by William Shakespeare from a different perspective. Below are a few, among many, rhetorical devices used in Love’s Labor’s Lost.

Alliteration: The repetition of a sound in a sequence of words that are close together. Holofernes: The preyful Princess pierced and pricked a pretty pleasing pricket. Rhyming couplet: Rhyming words at the end of a pair of verse lines. Boyet: Why all his behaviors did make their retire Muscovite costume rendering. Designed by Mara Bloomfeld. William Shakespeare To the court of his eye, peeping thorough desire. FUN FACTS SHAKESPEARE Homonym: Two or more words having • Words that appear for the • Born around April 23, 1564. the same pronounciation, but different first time in print in Love’s • Married Anne Hathaway meanings, origins or spelling. Labor’s Lost: academe, at the age of 18. They had Berowne: O, what a scene of fool’ry have I courtship, critic, ode, zany, three children between seen. manager, design, domineer- 1583 and 1585. Antithesis: Two opposite ideas are put ing, generous, heartburning, • Became an actor and together to highlight the contrast. obscene, humor and jig. playwright for the Lord Berowne: O, but for my love, day would • The play contains the word- Chamberlain’s Men, which turn to night! honorificabilitudinitatibus, became the King’s Men Anaphora: The repetition of words or the longest word in Shake- when King James I was phrases at the beginning of several speare’s plays. It means “the crowned in 1603. Wrote 37 successive sentences. state of being loaded with plays, 2 epic poems and Berowne: For wisdom’s sake, a word that honors.” 154 sonnets over a 25-year all men love, • The longest scene of all of career. Or for love’s sake, a word that loves all Shakespeare’s plays is Act V, • Love’s Labor’s Lost was men, scene 2w. written around 1594. Or for men’s sake, the authors of these • The play has the highest • Died in his hometown of women, ratio of rhyme to blank verse Stratford-upon-Avon on Or for women’s sake, by whom we men of all of Shakespeare’s plays. April 23, 1616. are men… 5. What is rhetoric? What is its purpose? How was rhetoric Before seeing/reading the play used during Shakespeare’s time? How is it used today? When is rhetoric effective? When is it ineffective? What 1. Love’s Labor’s Lost takes place in the kingdom of Navarre, rhetorical devices did Shakespeare use in his plays? This which no longer exists as an independent country. Find a and other websites provide information: Medieval map of France and Spain and locate the kingdom http://www.bardweb.net/grammar/02rhetoric.html of Navarre on it. A map can be found in Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare by Isaac Asimov or at the following website: Learn more about Shakespeare’s life and times at the http://www.henri-iv.com/imap.htm following websites: http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=865&C- FID=6230886&CFTOKEN=25420173 http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare.html Our court shall be a little academe, http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/life.htm Still and contemplative in living art. http://www.bardweb.net/man.html —Act I, scene 1 After seeing/reading the play

1. What is the significance of the title of the play? How would you define “love’s labor?” How is it defined in the play? How is love’s labor lost?

2. Refer to your research on Shakespeare’s comedies. What characteristics does Love’s Labor’s Lost share with a conven- tional Shakespearean comedy? How do they differ from them? Near the end of the play, Berowne says, “Our wooing doth not end like an old play:/ Jack hath not Jill. These ladies’ courtesy/ might well have made our sport a comedy.” How does Shakespeare use this line to draw attention to one of the ways in which this comedy differs from his others?

The Academy of Baccio Bandinelli in Rome by Agostino dei Musi

2. In Love’s Labor’s Lost, a pageant is staged that features the Nine Worthies. Find out who the Nine Worthies were and what they represented. This and other websites provide information: https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/h097_ Worthies.html

3. What are the elements of a Shakespearean comedy? How do comedies generally end? These and other websites provide information: http://www.fathom.com/course/21701729/session4.html https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/an-introduction- to-shakespeares-comedy

4. Research the Shakespearean clown. What is the function of the clown? What is the difference between a clown and Costume rendering for the Princess of France. Costume design by Mara Blumenfeld. a fool in a Shakespeare play? This and other websites provide information: https://www.enotes.com/topics/william-shakespeare/ 3. The King of Navarre and his men have sworn an oath to critical-essays/shakespeares-clowns-and-fools live and study at the King’s court for three years. For that period, they are to see no women, eat only one meal a day, fast once a week and sleep but three hours a night. How do the strict rules of the King’s Academe doom them from the What are the attractive qualities of the women? What are start? After they have broken their oaths, Berowne says, “To their unattractive qualities? In what ways are the men more fast, to study, and to see no woman—/ Flat treason ’gainst idealistic, romantic, immature? In what ways are the women the kingly state of youth.” In what ways does their youth more realistic, balanced, mature? make them think they will be able to adhere to these rules? In what ways does their youth make them unable to adhere to them?

4. Refer to your research on rhetorical devices. Give exam- ples of rhetorical devices used in the play and note their effects. How are characters able to persuade others through the use of rhetoric? Which characters use rhetorical devices most effectively? Which characters use rhetoric unsuccessfully? What is the effect of using the devices well and using them unsuccessfully?

5. Compare King Ferdinand, Berowne, Longaville and Du- maine. How are they similar? How are they different? Based on their speech and their actions, what words would you use to describe each of them? How do they refer to themselves? How do their actions match up with their words?

6. In Act I, Sir Adrian O. Dearmaddow is accused of being a gentleman and a gamester. He responds, “I confess both; Costume rendering for Rosaline. they are both the varnish of a complete man.” What does he Costume design by Mara Bloomfeld. mean by this? What is he saying about the nature of man? How do the actions of the other men in the play support 12. Many actions in the play are not completed (e.g., the men this statement? swear to spend three years in study and immediately break their vow). What are the other actions and how is each 7. Shakespeare’s cast of characters lists the King’s name as interrupted? What is the emotional effect of a play in which Ferdinand, but throughout the play he is referred to only every action is interrupted? as “King.” The Princess of France, who is given no name, is referred to by her title, “Princess” and later “Queen.” Why 13. Why do the King and his lords choose to mask their true might Shakespeare choose to refer to these characters by feelings for the women? What makes each of them reveal their titles rather than their names? their true feelings and intentions? What risks do the men take for love? How does the men’s behavior compare with 8. What distinguishes the King of Navarre and the Princess the behavior of the women? of France from the other characters? How much power to they appear to have? What actions do they perform that 14. Read Berowne’s speech in Act IV, scene 3, lines 286 – 362. suggest a high status in comparison to the others? In what Describe his argument in support of the position that love ways are they like the other characters? is the true source of education. How does he convince his friends that they must break their oaths? What does he say 9. Compare the speech and behavior of the different sets they will gain? of people in the play—the nobles, the country folk and the scholars. How is the behavior of each group distinct? What 15. Many things in the play are taken to extremes: the rules behaviors are similar for each group? Which group’s speech for Navarre’s Academe, the learning of Holofernes and Sir and behavior is the most natural and why? Which group’s Nathaniel, the foolishness of Sir Adrian, the year-long trials speech is the most affected and why? What are the different the women require of the men. How do the characters man- kinds of learning and education represented? How do the age the extremes? What do they learn about themselves by kinds of learning the characters value in the play influence being extreme? their speech and behavior? 16. Why do the four women doubt the sincerity of the love 10. Trace the power shifts between the men and women in offered by the men? What actions by the men cause the the play. What tactics do the women employ to get power? women to doubt their love? In what ways are the men in Which group appears to have more power by the end of love with the individual women they are courting? In what the play? ways are they in love with the idea of love? How much do the men really know about the women they profess to love? 11. How does Shakespeare highlight the differences between men and women in this play? What are the attractive 17. Compare the behavior of the four men and the four wom- qualities of the men? What are their unattractive qualities? en during the Pageant of the Nine Worthies. When do the men take their fooling too far? What do we learn about the 23. The play ends with two songs, celebrating spring (the men from their behavior? What do the women learn? cuckoo) and winter (the owl). What is the significance of the placement of the songs? What do the birds symbolize? 18. Compare Sir Adrian’s love of Jaquenetta to the other men’s love of their ladies. What are the differences and 24. Consider the results of a year of waiting for the men and similarities in their behavior? The King and his men enjoy women. What is the result of a year of hard living for the making fun of Sir Adrian’s foolishness; describe theirs. men? Do they keep their oaths? What is the result of a year of separation for the men and women? 19. Love’s Labor’s Lost begins with the King of Navarre talking about the death of himself and his three friends. The play 25. Describe the future for each of the relationships. Which ends with Marcade telling the Princess of the death of her couple appears most suited to each other? Why? father. Why does this play begin and end with death? How does the discussion of death at the beginning differ from 26. If you are seeing/reading Othello, compare the extremes, the discussion of death at the end? How do the vows at the or excess, in both plays. What are the consequences of beginning of the play differ from the vows at the end of excess? How is balance achieved? How is balance not the play? achieved?

20. Refer to your research on the Nine Worthies. Which char- 27. If you are seeing/reading Romeo and Juliet, compare the acter plays which Worthy? How is each character’s casting use of masks in these plays. What is the purpose of wearing appropriate to his/her nature and opinion of themselves? a mask for characters in these plays? What is the effect?

21. Letters play a large role in the play. Which letters provide 28. If you are also seeing Sense and Sensibility, Destiny of clarity? Which letters create confusion? When would it have Desire and/or Romeo and Juliet, compare the relationship been better to speak rather than to write a letter? between love and marriage in these plays. In each play, how much power or input do the women have over whether and 22. Which characters speak in rhyme and which do not? whom they will marry? Who holds the final power of choice Why? in each play, and why?

Set design for Love’s Labor’s Lost by Daniel Ostling. Set design for Love’s Labor’s Lost by Daniel Ostling.

How does the setting and style of the production inform your understanding of Love’s Labor’s Lost ? THE NINE WORTHIES • The Nine Worthies were a popular theme in the 14th to 16th centuries. • They represented the perfection and ultimate chivalric qualities of a warrior. All of the Worthies showed great courage, leadership and brought honor to their nations. They consisted of three pagan, three Jewish and three Christian champions. •The three champions of pagan law were: • Hector, great warrior of the Trojan War. • Alexander the Great, empire builder and commander. • In Shakespeare’s rendition of the 9 Worthies, Caesar’s enemy, Pompey the Great, and Greek hero Hercules, are included. •The three champions of the Old Law were the Jewish heroes: • Joshua, leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. • David, slayer of Goliath and wise king. • Judas Maccabeus, 2nd century rebel leader and Jewish patriot. • The three champions of the Christian law were: • King Arthur, legendary British king who led Briton against the Saxons. • Charlemagne, King of the Francs, Lombards and Holy Roman Emperor who united much of Europe. • Godfrey of Bouillon, Frankish knight who led the first Crusade.

The Nine Worthies at City Hall in Cologne, Germany

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